Squires Gate Vs Northwichs Vics

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CLUBDIRECTORY

President: Brian Addison

ClubSecretary: John Maguire

Committee: Brian Addison, Steve

Bellamy, Ian Moore, Micky Farrer, John Maguire

HeadofMedia: James Ashton

SocialMediaManager: Dan Hayden

ClubPhotographer: Ian Moore

MediaOfficer: Jay Hayden

MediaAssistant: George Moore

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ShirtSponsors: Central Insurance, Open Recruitment, Taylors Fish & Chips, Global Football Network, Short Sponsor: Marsden Plastering

CLUBMANAGEMENT

Manager: Luke Evans

FirstTeamCoach: Liam Robinson

ClubPhysio: Rhys Daly

U23’SManager: Josh Strachan

Good afternoon, and welcome to The Brian Addison Stadium for our game against Northwich Victoria. A welcome to our visiting supporters, and committee tonight.

Our previous encounter against Northwich Vics was a 5-1 defeat back at the end of November. A night which most of us won’t want to remember in a hurry.

This is the second time we have hosted the Trickies this season after our FA Cup tie back at the start of the season.

We’d like to thank you for purchasing our matchday magazine, and if you enjoy the read, please do tag uson Twitter @TotG_SG.

Dan Hayden

TALKOFTHEGATE

Editors; James Ashton

Dan Hayden

Jay Hayden

FrontCover: Chris Stewart @kitforbrains

Printing: Moulton Printing

CLUBCONTACT

Website: www.squiresgatefc.co.uk

Twitter: @squiresgatefc

Instagram: @squiresgatefc

Email: squiresgatefc@hotmail.com

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to this afternoon’s match between Squires Gate and Northwich Vics. A warm welcome to the travelling fans, players and committee, as well as our loyal home supporters.

We come into the game in decent form, with away wins against Wythenshawe and FC Isle Of Man and a home draw against Congleton on Wednesday standing us in good stead ahead of today’s match.

It was a solid point for us on Wednesday, a draw against a good side like Congleton can never be sniffed at, especially playing for around 55 minutes with 10 men. We were disappointed with Theo Ball’s red card, but after going 1-0 down early in the second half we got ourselves back in the game and kept pushing until the end.

We got our deserved equaliser in stoppage time, with a brilliant free kick delivery from Cliffy headed in by Alex Welsh to get us a point. Really pleased for Welshy too scoring his first goal for us after a Man of the Match performance.

It’ll be another tough match for us today, with Northwich Vics another side who are always at the top end of the table. It was a really disappointing 5-1 defeat for us, but we’re expecting a much stronger performance this afternoon and we’re confident in ourselves that we can extend our good run of form.

Thank you once again for attending today’s game. We really appreciate your support, and we hope you enjoy your afternoon with us here at The Brian Addison Stadium.

EVANS

Gaffer

#WeAreGate

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CHRIS WEBSTER

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NATHAN CLIFFE CALLUM SANDLE CLIFFE

RYAN MOORE

Q&A THEO BALL

Theo! You’re our ‘Cover Star’ for today’s programme! Are you looking forward to the match?

Yeah I am, they are a good side with experience and some good players.

We face a tricky test in Northwich Vics this afternoon, what are you expecting from our visitors?

Last time out was a massive disappointment and it showed how good they can be so today we need to show them that we aren’t to be taken lightly.

You joined over the summer and have been an excellent addition to the club both on and off the pitch - how have you settled in and enjoyed your time at Gate so far?

I’ve settled in great the lads were very welcoming and they have been helpful to me on and off the pitch considering it’s my first full season at men’s football.

The gaffer and the staff are amazing everyone involved in the football club just care so much so it was very easy to enjoy my time here so far.

It’s been a bit of a mixed bag so far this season, but lots of positives to take into the second half of the campaign - are you happy with how the season’s gone so far?

I mean we have had a very good run of form and we have had a bad run of form so it’s not ideal the position we are in at the moment but I’m sure after a few more games we’ll be back to our best we had a good run in the vase and we just need to get back to how good we can be

At the time of writing you’ve hit 8 goals so far this season as well as some vital assists too, are you happy with your own performances so far?

I am happy with some of my performances so far but I’m always striving for improvement.

I know I can be better it just takes time because I’m still learning but I’ve had games where I’ve been great and some where I’ve been poor it’s just about the consistency.

Squires Gate have a growing fan base, as well as a strong social media presence. Has the support this season both at matches and online given the squad a boost?

Yeah it’s give the whole squad a boost when the fans are on your side seeing people travel all over the place to watch us feels great and we are so thankful for it because we know it takes a lot of time out of peoples weekends to come and watch us but nothing feels better than seeing the fans as happy as when we win a game.

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SQUIRES GATE 1-1 CONGLETON TOWN

After an even start to the game, Nathan Pennington made the first save of the evening on 10 minutes, beating away an attempted lob after a ball in behind the Gate defence. Nathan Cliffe then had Gate’s shot of the game at the other end, but hit straight at the Congleton Town keeper from the edge of the box.

A dangerous low cross from Theo Ball that was almost spilled by the Congleton was claimed at the second attempt, before a couple of shots inside the Gate area were well blocked. After what was a fairly uneventful first 40 minutes or so, a poor challenge from a Congleton player by the dugouts caused a tussle between both sides.

After conferring with his linesman, the referee decided to show a red card to Gate striker Theo Ball, and just a yellow card for the Congleton player that committed the foul.

Congleton started to grow back into the though, and went close to going in front on 53 minutes, firing a strong effort onto the outside of the post from the edge of the area.

The visitors did take the lead though just three minutes later from the penalty spot. Nathan Bartram brought down his man in the area, with Chadwick sending Pennington the wrong way to put Congleton in front.

The equaliser deservedly came on 90 minutes, with Alex Welsh scoring his first ever Squires Gate goal. Gate won a free kick down the right hand side, with Nathan Cliffe whipping in a perfect delivery that was headed home emphatically by Welsh. Gate seemed intent on going for the win, but despite winning a couple of corners and free kicks in good areas the visitors stood strong, with both sides forced to settle for a point.

Gate manager Luke Evans was also booked for arguing with the referee following Ball’s dismissal.

1. PENNINGTON

2. RILEY

3. ABANKWAH

4. CHAMBERS ©

5. WELSH

6. BARTRAM

7. MOORE

8. BOYD

9. BALL

10. CLIFFE

11. SANDLE

SMALL TALK

Hi guys, thanks for taking your time to talk to us. It's a pleasure to have you feature in today'sprogramme.

Firstly, could you give our supporters a brief rundown of who you are and how you got to where youaretoday?

We are an indie rock band called Small Talk from Bournemouth made up of Ben (lead singer/guitarist), Harry (drums) and Rob (bass). I (Ben) picked up the guitar when I was 18 after years of listening to some of my favourite bands like Oasis, The Cure, Arctic Monkeys and The Killers.

Two years later a friend introduced me to Harry and we joined forces to create Small Talk in 2021. Since then, our single’s “Paris” and “Headstart” have racked up over 40000 streams on Spotify and we have been played on BBC radio! We have most recently gone pretty viral on Twitter and TikTok and played some huge shows around the country.

Which bands are your influences and how would you describeyourstyleofmusic?

A big influence on our music is definitely The Killers. I love the “Sam’s Town” album! We also take influence from more modern bands such as Catfish and The Bottlemen and Sam Fender. I’ve always really enjoyed pop music meaning I write my songs centred around a catchy hook which always keeps people listening! I think it would also be wrong for us not to give a nod to some of the 90s bands like Oasis and Blur!

How did you decide on the name 'SmallTalk''?

The name Small Talk was actually suggested by one of our mates and it was just really catchy and rolled off the tongue! It’s also fitting because I absolutely hate small talk and I believe it’s a universally shared hatred (not talking about our band of course!).

Which song was the most difficult to write? Have you got any newreleasesplannedfor2023?

Paris” was definitely the most difficult song to write. We must have written four or five different versions before we settled on the final one! It was originally an acoustic song and it then slowly transformed into more of an indie pop track. I remember there was a lot of conflict in the studio as we were trying to figure out which direction to take the song into.

We definitely chose the best route for “Paris” however in my opinion! We’ve actually got a new single “Lifeline” being released on the 20th January (this is top -secret information as I write this). It’s possibly the catchiest song I have and will ever write! We will then have an EP coming out right before our debut UK tour which has 4 tracks that will hopefully cement our sound.

2023 is here, and I know you have a tour in March! How do you get yourselfpreparedforgigs?

What venue are you most looking forwardto?

Our live shows are usually mayhem, so we normally relax beforehand have a couple of drinks and listen to some good music. We all love playing gigs and we get a huge buzz off it so we are usually all buzzing to get out on stage! For the UK tour in March we are most looking forward to playing in Manchester. We absolutely love the city it’s just got a great buzz about it and the crowds are insane there! We are playing at a venue called 33 Oldham Street which I have heard good things about.

Finally, anything you'd like to add for those who may have not listened to SmallTalkandforthefans?

We want to wish Squires Gate FC a big good luck today and hope you get the result you want! I’m a big AFC Bournemouth fan myself so maybe one day we will meet you at some point in the FA Cup!

FIXTURES & RESULTS // 2022-2023

We would like to wish young Squires Gate supporter, James a Happy Birthday for Tuesday!

James turns 10 on Tuesday and has become a huge Squires Gate fan, coming down to The Brian Addison Stadium with his Dad and his brothers. His favourite player is Nathan Cliffe.

We hope you had a lovely birthday, James and thank you for continuing to support the club.

Words ByDan Hayden

It was our first away game of 2023, and the first one since Congleton back at the start of December. The last time we had played an away game, Morocco had just beaten Spain on penalties and there were hopes that England could finally bring it home. Now we’re 2 weeks into January, it’s cold and hardly anyone has stuck to their New Years resolutions.

It was just James and I for this journey to Lower Breck. A first full week back at work was done, and I was looking forward to getting to another away day. On Friday night, we agreed to get to Liverpool a bit earlier to catch the Manchester derby so it was an early start to pick James up.

It had been quite a while since I’d had a proper catch up with James, and the journey down was a pretty smooth one with a chat about the biggest game of the day, taking place at Vicarage Road of course as Watford faced Blackpool.

I was not feeling confident after our poor performance at Bloomfield Road back in October and the fact we could make a team from our injury list.

We arrived in Liverpool around 12.45 and found a nice little pub near the ground where we watched Fernandes’ controversial goal for United. A talking point for sure. James opted for Rekorderlig and it was a coke for me, and it gave us time to get the social media graphics ready and discuss the squad news.

Kick off was fast approaching, so we headed down to the Sports Centre which is situated very close to Anfield and Goodison Park. In fact, throughout the game, you could quite clearly hear the roars from the ground.

On arrival, I bought myself a burger after being quite disappointed that there was no gravy, peas or chips for the pie option.

However, after having no cash, shoutout to the guys behind the bar who let me pay 10 minutes after charging the card machine.

It was a very poor performance from Gate saw us leave empty handed, which was made even worse for the Blackpool fans when we walked back into the bar

Watford 2 Blackpool 0 read Sky Sports.

Unfortunately, I would rather have saw a win at Lower Breck as it’s now no win since the last MACRON Cup game here in November.

The journey home was a quiet one, as we were both frustrated with the defeat and how confusing the roads are in Merseyside and James decided to have a little nap on the way home too.

Onto the next one. #WeAreGate

AWAY DAY REVIEWS

STADIUM FOOD & DRINK

Similar to Litherland REMYCA, Lower Breck play at a Sports Centre so it’s quite a basic stadium. There is a turnstile to get into the ground, and there are two stands around the ground. It’s not my favourite ground in the league but it’s not the worst.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter would have already seen the very lonely burger I had as opposed to the usual pies, chips and gravy. They had pie available but no chips, gravy or peas. The burger was actually pretty good but for some reason, it was also served in a bowl.

SCORE: 5/10

PROGRAMME HOSPITALITY

We didn’t actually purchase a programme from Lower Breck. With no Jay or Helen available; James and I had no cash to purchase one.

From looking at a glance though, it does have a great design on the front cover which is a bit like a passport with unique stamps for each club and last season I also liked the Tube Map idea.

SCORE: 7/10

JOURNEY

I am not a fan of the away days in Liverpool purely because of the roads. The journey time wasn’t awful and accompanied with similar music tastes between me and James, it made for a decent journey.

Nothing overly exciting.

SCORE: 6/10

SCORE: 4/10

Everyone we encountered at Lower Breck were very hospitatible.

There was some questionable popcorn chicken shaped things available at half time, which Roy confirmed were curried meatballs.

Some very nice cake available too.

SCORE: 7/10

NORTHWICH VICTORIA

LAST SEASON

Premier Division: 5th

FA Cup: Preliminary Round

FA Vase: 1st Qualifying Round

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VICS…..

Northwich Victoria were formed in 1874 and named in honour of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. The following year the club established themselves at the Drill Field, so named, as it was the former Drilling Ground of the 22nd Company of the 3rd battalion of the Cheshire Rifle Volunteers.

Five years on, Vics' sampled further FA Cup glory under the management of Keith Alexander. The club claimed their first league scalp for 17 years defeating Bury at the Drill Field in a first round replay, before turning a 2-0 deficit against Leyton Orient into a 3-2 lead before a late equaliser earned the Londoners a replay at Brisbane Road, a game which they in turn won 3-2 after extra time having trailed the Vics' 2-0, a thrilling match screened live on SkyTV.

When Alexander was offered the post of Director of Coaching at Lincoln City in the summer of 2001, he was replaced for two seasons at Northwich by former Northern Ireland international Jimmy Quinn.

In September 2004 the club went into administration and suffered a 10 point deduction. However, against all the odds current manager Steve Burr and his team produced some fantastic performances, eventually finishing outside the bottom three, culminating in the team being voted “Non-League club of the year” by the Non-League paper.

On 19 May 2009 the club went into administration for the second time in five years following their relegation from the Conference National; they were threatened with a double relegation to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League as a result of this, but ultimately won an appeal to be placed into the Conference North for the 2009-10 season.

On 24 October 2009, under the management of Andy Preece and Andy Morrison - Northwich played FC United of Manchester in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round. Northwich won the game 3–0.

In the First Round proper, Northwich were drawn against former Premier League side Charlton Athletic, which was televised live on ITV1, providing much needed revenue for the club. Northwich won the game 1–0. Northwich were then drawn against Lincoln City, a match which was again televised on ITV1.

The 2014/15 season saw Vics' finish in fourth spot in the Evo-Stik NPL Division One North table, losing 2-1 away to Bamber Bridge in the promotion play-off semi-final after extra time. A 16th MidCheshire Senior Challenge Cup title was added to the honours list, defeating Witton Albion 4-0 in the final at the Help For Heroes Stadium in Northwich.

The Club narrowly missed out on a 20th Cheshire F.A Senior Cup title, losing to Vanarama Conference Premier giantsand old foes Macclesfield Town by the odd goal in three; by 3-2.

NORTHWICH: THE SIXTY

SECOND GUIDE

BORN IN NORTHWICH

Paula Radcliffe was born in Northwich.

THE NUMBER CRUNCHER

PLAYED FOR VICS

Former Blackpool player, Gary Taylor-Fletcher once played for Northwich Vics.

MEDIA MEMOIRS

PLAYED FOR VICS

Northwich Vics reached the 2nd Round of the FA Cup in 2015/16 where theywere knocked out byNorthampton Town.

Firstly, what encouraged you to start supporting Northwich Vics?

I started following Vics at the end of the 70’s when I was still at junior school. Football was our lives in those days playing at break and dinner time and then straight out for a kick-about after school. In those days there was little to no live football on the telly so it was only by going to the match you would be able to see a game. One of my best friends would go to watch Vics with his Dad so I pestered mine to take me.

A fixture came up where we would play the Zambian national team in a friendly. We had not long returned from that country where Dad had been working so he thought it would be interesting to go. I can’t remember the game but do recall the excitement of walking down to the Drill Field and seeing a match under floodlights for the first time. Not long after that we played Maltese side Valletta, who had just played the mighty Leeds United in a European tie, in another friendly.

WITH PHIL HARRISON

This match had a special bonus in that the World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks ‘guest’ in goal for Northwich and when a penalty was award there only one choice to take the kick.

So not only did we get the chance to see one of the best goalkeepers in the world but we saw him score a goal as well!

By now I’d really caught the bug and it was long before a group of us would be making our way down the ground on our own, sitting on the fences surrounding the pitch until we were told not to – for our own safety!, singing as loud as we could before legging it on the pitch at the final whistle for autographs or just to give our heroes a pat on the back.

What do you enjoy most about Non-League?

What’s not to like? It’s the whole package isn’t, the team you support with the players that you get to know, the volunteers that make the

match day work and of course the fans! Not only that but in the main there is a friendly rivalry between most teams and we pull together as a community – many is the time where a club might be in some sort of issue be it financial or otherwise and the first to contribute or help out are often your most fierce opposition. What happens on the pitch is also a massive draw to the game.

We get to see great skill that would grace any level of football and of course some hopeless ground Swallowing moments as well. It’s a game that isn’t continually stopped for ‘simulation’ or the dreaded VAR. It’s fun and affordable too.

Off the pitch, we enjoyed our visit to Vics this season. Some great food available, but what is your go to matchday "scran"? Who has your favourite in the NWCFL?

Difficult one for me as I mostly attend the match with a favorite @nonleaguedogs our beagle called Jasper. He’s a proper gannet and trying to eat anything with him about is a nightmare however when he’s confined to barracks my ‘goto’ will always be a pie, steak if possible and a Bovril.

What are your expectations for the remainder of the season?

I like us to better last season’s 5th place and if we can keep the current squad fit and together that should be achievable. For the first time in a while we have quality coming from

Q&A

the bench and have made good additions to the squad during the season. Heart says that we should reach a top two however head says that will not happen, but never say never!

It’s been a fascinating season with every team being capable of beating whoever is in front of them on their day, recent results are proof of that with only Bury maintaining any consistency. I’d be happy if we can keep playing at our current level to the end of the season and maybe pick up a couple of pieces of silverware on the way.

Who are the ones to watch for Gate fans today?

Definitely top scorer Matt Dudley who has 3 hat-tricks to his name this season so far.He's scored the full range of goals from the poachers tap-ins, spectacular overhead kicks and long range thunder busters!

He's not the biggest of strikers however works hard up front one of his qualities is the ability to create space for himself and when he's on the ball he's got the skills to pay the bills! Also upfront look out for one of our recent recruits, KudaChingwaro.

This lad has pace in abundance, 2 great feet and knows where the net is. I hope Kuda will be challenging for the goal scoring crown by the end of the season. In midfield we have the combative Ashley Dunn who works tirelessly breaking down attacks and isn't afraid to put his foot in. Ash was my choice as player of the season last term as he added a few important goals to his fantastic performances in green. Watch out for Tom Walker and Chris Mather who possess all the attributes of Ash and have added the 'bite' in the middle of the park that we have lacked previously.

At the back you cannot fail to mention Brandon Barski. Currently the longest serving member of the club's playing staff, Brandon's consistency and incredible high standardsover the

seasons has meant he's rarely without the player of the year award come the end of April.

Vics were run out winners earlier in the season. What are you expecting from today? With both teams coming to the match in a good reign of form I don't think the scoreline to be anything like the meeting at Whincham Park.

I am hopeful of a victory though, as Northwich have demonstrated in those last few games the ability to grind out a result. Looking at Gate's recent results I can see that 2023 has been a good year so far so I'm expecting it to be close. So for me Vics by the odd goal and I'd be grateful for that.

Your all time 5 a side Vics side? Difficult one especially have supported the Trickies for so long but I'll have ago. In goal there can only be one choice - Dave Ryan! Ryanio was the first Northwich number one I saw, played into the mid-80's including the FA Trophy winning side and he was brilliant in my opinion.

Great hands and very much an unspectacular 'keeper that made it seem easy because he read the game so well and was ready for anything that was thrown at him At the back would be club legend and record appearance holder Kenny Jones. Captain of the FA Trophy winning side he was a fearless and inspirational leader that led by example and was as hard as nails as well.

Joining Kenny at the back is current legend in the making, Brandon Barski. What a player this guy is, not a lot gets past him and he plays the game hard but fair - he might put you on your backside but he'll be back to pick you up and shake your hand.

My front 2 will be Mark Ward and Super Johnny Allen. Wardy was brought in by Manager of my side John King (sorry Steve!) after he was released by Everton. Probably one of the best players I saw play for Northwich he was just miles ahead of anyone else and it was no surprise to see him go on and grace the highest levels of English football.

Johnny Allen was just a fantastic striker who put so much effort and determination whenever he played. Dearly loved by the fans he was a proper club man and often appears in our fans top teams when they pick their best Vics 11.

Your favourite NWCFL ground to visit?

Difficult one again because I have visited a few, I like Kendal Town's ground as it has good facilities at our level and as it sits in the heart of the Lake District so the surroundings are to die for. I enjoyed my trip to Burscough and their new ground as it shows what can be achieved with a blank canvas. Talking to people there it will be interesting to see that develop over the next few years. But for me the hidden gem is Lower Breck.

Hands up with this choice... Despite being Northwich born and bred I have spent the last 30 odd years living in Liverpool. Lower Breck is my nearest local team and a place where I can catch a bus or walk up to and enjoy a pint at the game for a change instead of driving! They've made me and Jasper so welcome and they do a good burger as well.

Prediction for the game?

Sorry Gate but I have it as Vics to take it 1-2. Won't be a classic but it is all about points at this stage of the season

TEN HAAG

HOW HE HAS TURNED UNITED AROUND IN SIX MONTHS

WordsbyAlexKeble

The 4-0 thumping by Brentford in August, making it two defeats from two for Erik ten Hag, confirmed the worst: many viewed Manchester United as a mess, a club so hampered by mismanagement their trajectory was set to mimic Liverpool’s three-decade ramble in the wilderness.

Football is stimulated by our collectively short memory, which is no bad thing – it fuels the churn of crises and new dawns that make up our Premier League life. But the faster the change the less we remember, which is an irritating habit that tends to erase the past and deny people their due credit.

When that happens it’s worth diving into our sense memories for some perspective. Remember how awful that 4-0 defeat was? How lost Man Utd were, how irrefutable the argument that Ten Hag would struggle to turn things around?

Since that day he has done an unbelievable job, far exceeding what anyone anticipated in year one of the rebuild. A lot of that is down to his charisma and control of the dressing room, his firm hand and intelligent leadership. Even more important, perhaps, has been the influence of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield and the simple individual

quality that has won the ‘moments’ in even games.

What is talked about far less are the tactical principles he has gradually introduced, a factor that rarely gets media coverage until the core ideas are staring pundits in the face. But Opta data shows us they are beginning to take shape.

DIRECT, PROGRESSIVE CREATIVITY IS FORMING

Before we dive in, it’s worth briefly summarising Ten Hag’s tactics and what we should be looking for. In broad terms, his Ajax team were about purposeful possession: Guardiola-like control with extremely detailed coaching of where players should position themselves, but with a greater emphasis on verticality and direct running in the final third. Ten Hag seeks to press from the front and pen teams in, but when building from the back wants to draw the opponent forward before breaking quickly into the spaces left behind.

Ten Hag even highlighted this in his press conference after the defeat to Brentford:

It’s naive, how we played today, you have to play more direct. We said: invite them in [to press] and play long. We attracted them, the space was high on the pitch and we had to choose that option. That’s what we couldn’t do.”

So let’s start here, with the vertical stuff. The headline is that Man Utd are moving well in the forward line but are not quite operating consistently enough at this juncture.

“They are top of the charts for total number of direct attacks – essentially a proxy for counter attacks – by a considerable distance. They’ve recorded 51 so far, which is 25% more than second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, and Liverpool (38). This is noticeable to the naked eye when witnessing Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial making runs on the shoulder of the last defender, often switching positions as they dart from out to in. That’s why United are joint top for total through balls played, with 48.

Further evidence can be found in the number of touches taken by their forwards. As the table below shows, United’s three most used forwards this season (who were also at the club in 2021-22) are taking fewer touches this year compared to last yet are recording better shot-per-game averages.

Fewer touches does not mean less involvement in the action, but rather a different way of playing: they come short less, making runs to feed a more direct approach.

BUT POSSESSION FOOTBALL STILL A LITTLE SIDEWAYS…

So, Manchester United are getting better at playing vertically through the lines, but clearly they are not yet the finished article: it is telling that they are eighth in the Premier League for progressive passes (556), some way off the standard set by the top clubs. What we see here is a club still occasionally stuck moving sideways as they learn the intricacies of Ten Hag’s positional demands.

They are only eighth in the division for total number of 10+ open-play pass sequences (212), behind even Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, and have only held 60% possession or higher on six occasions in the Premier League –winning a mere two of these games, against Nottingham Forest and Everton.

Ten Hag might not want possession for possession’s sake, but he still wants his team to control the ball for long periods, especially at the back, before suddenly switching the tempo with direct football. Counter-intuitively, you cannot have the latter without the former, as Liverpool have shown over the years, because to attack with verticality at all times would create an amorphous formation that is exposed to opposition counters and end -to-end chaos.

Things are just a little awkward in possession still, which is fair enough given how hard it is to understand a manager’s automatisms working at this level. You can see players making runs in anticipation of receiving the next-butone pass, and you can see passes being made blind – in expectation of someone being there – which is a good indicator of structured possession. But it is revealing that no team has had more interceptions against them than United’s 227.

Knowing the system has not yet clicked into place, Ten Hag has had success by being more flexible than anticipated, humbly letting go of his principles to embrace the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer methods of deep-lying, counterattacking football in big matches.

Across five matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal, Man Utd have averaged 38% possession –and won nine points. On each occasion United simply sat back in their own half, refusing to press the opposition and hoping to break in rare opportunities. Across those five games, United have averaged 18.2 PPDA, far higher than their seasonal average of 13.8.

PRESSING SYSTEM ALSO ON THE UP

Man Utd’s off-the-ball work follows the same pattern as their vertical possession: they look good when pressing high and hard, but can’t quite do it with enough regularity. These stats are arguably skewed by the five games against the big clubs above, but it is still noteworthy that Man Utd are 13th for total high turnovers with 148, and yet they sit joint-fourth, with 29, for high turnovers that lead to a shot. Again, the misalignment here speaks volumes.

The stats are lopsided across the board. United are 13th for PPDA (13.8) while their total presses is just 473, below even Wolves, despite the fact their average duration of each press (6.76 seconds) puts them fourth and just behind Man City. If that wasn’t confusing enough, they are third in the league for interceptions (202) yet firmly mid-table when it comes to total number of pressures and third bottom when it comes to the average velocity of those pressures (4.2kph).

This may have something to do with their forwards’ ability to press. Ronaldo being gone helps, but Rashford isn’t the best at pressing either; he ranks 13th for pressures applied in the attacking third (145), below the likes of Odsonne Édouard and Che Adams.

A NEW GOALKEEPER AND RIGHT-BACK THE PRIORITIES

Not that United need to upgrade on Rashford, one of the standout performers of Ten Hag’s tenure so far. Instead, they should focus on a new goalkeeper and a new right-back, without which there is a limit on the tactical improvements that can be made.

To build out from the back without making mistakes, drawing the opponent onto them and providing the foundation for possession-dominance followed by sudden verticality, United desperately need a ball-playing goalkeeper.

David de Gea ranks 16th in the Premier League for total number of goalkeeping actions outside the area, with 16, and he is all the way down in 13th for passes attempted (507). Surely Ten Hag would want that figure higher, and with better quality on the ball United would be less likely to lose it in their own third – only six teams suffer more high turnovers than Man Utd’s 106.

The usual argument in favour of De Gea is that what you lose with his (lack of) passing ability, you make up for with his shot-stopping. But by the Spaniard’s lofty standards he’s having a poor season on that front, conceding two goals more than the average goalkeeper would’ve been expected to save based on the quality of shots he’s faced. That’s the 11th best figure in the league of ‘keepers to have played 50% of more available minutes.

United have crossed the ball fewer times than any other Premier League club (265), even though they top the charts – by a distance – for average number passing options available when they do so (1.85). If they can counterbalance their strength on the left, Man Utd might suddenly find they can be far more vertical and progressive, as well as improve on their possession.

That’s the holy grail for Ten Hag. It is beyond extraordinary that, just five months on from the defeat at Brentford, he might only be a couple of signings away.

FLAMENGO v SANTOS

WORDS BY STEPHEN BRANDT

One of the best times after coming out from the debt debacle was when Ronaldinho came to Rio. Ronaldinho was one of the best players in the 21st century in Europe, but like many when his European adventure was up, he came back to Brazil. There was a memorable match between Flamengo and Neymar’s Santos on July 27, 2007 that could be the passing of the torch.

Only a month had passed since Santos had lifted the Copa Libertadores over Flamengo’s foe Peñarol. Santos was still basking in the glory of the cup for the third time in their history. On the other side Flamengo was dreaming of winning another Brazilian title, as they were undefeated after 11 matches in the Brasileirão, having won five, and drawn six. Outside of Neymar and Ronaldinho meeting for the first time in club play, two of the best managers of the time were meeting again Muricy Ramalho at Santos, and Vanderlei Luxemburgo at Flamengo.

At the time Santos were at the wrong end of the table, sitting in 13th place. With Flamengo’s great run they were 3rd and going up. Flamengo’s title hopes were laying on the whim of the maverick midfielder Ronaldiho. Both lined up a little before 10pm as André Luiz de Freitas Castro blew his whistle to get the match going ahead. It started off as Santos ran all over Flamengo in the open field. Flamengo’s players weren’t going to let Santos just dictate the match, so it fouled Neymar after receiving a pass from Gano.

At four minutes in Ronaldinho’s backheel pass to Deivid was fumbled creating a counterattack for Santos. Neymar got the green light to pull off the first showboating moment of the match, playing it in for ex-Manchester City player Elano who was on his second of three tours with Santos. Elano then with his exquisite passing left it for Borges to go one on one with

Flamengo goalkeeper Felipe for the 1-0 lead. Flamengo needed to react, or the match could get out of hand fast. Ronaldinho missed on far less passes, created opportunities and controlled the match.

So much of this opening part of the match for Flamengo was Ronaldinho, that he almost scored on two occasions.

His shot at the eleventh minute went right of Rafael’s goal, and at fifteen minutes he fired a weak shot at the goal, which was easily collected. Despite Flamengo’s best efforts Santos was the one who scored next, with Neymar laying on the ground touching the ball to Borges for the 2-0 score.

Deivid had the chance to open the scoring, had an open goal in front of him, but just managed to miss it. The ball hit the shin of the Santos keeper, hit the beam and went out. A move like this at any level was humiliating for anyone. With the eleven game unbeaten streak on the line, Santos made it more nerving for the Flamengo fans. The third goal was picked as the FIFA most beautiful goal of the year 3-0 and harsh. Neymar in the middle of the pitch, passed it to Borges who put it in the air, returning it to Neymar who was face to face with Flamengo defensive duo Welinto and Ronaldo Angelim, and then saw Felipe. Neymar’s final touch was elegant, light and under the reach of Vila Belmiro for the third goal.

Flamengo tends to take the shots to the ego in stride, and defeats them. Flamengo came back on two quick goals, one by Ronaldinho, and Thiago Neves. This put the pressure back on Santos, who had their defensive flaws. In the second half, Flamengo kept it on through a great sequence of passing between Deivid, Léo Moura and Thiago Neves. Eventually Deivid got his head on the goal for 3-3.

Neymar was not done, and at the 40 minute mark Neymar left everyone in his wake and got into the penalty area. Something that was to come as a trick he would use many times, he fell down in the area drawing a foul on Williams for a penalty and a yellow card. The referee signaled a penalty, which Elano took hitting the goal while attempting the Panenka. Ronaldinho, ever the showman, made sure Flamengo would win, but being down 4-3 was not optimal.

He was always a game changing genius, and he surprised everyone with a historic moment hitting a low free kick under the wall for the 4-4 tie. Game on!

The match kept being busy. Santos had the genius of Neymar to rely on, he launched a counterattack from the right, dribbling toward Leonadro Moura and fell down in the penalty area again. The referee saw through the simulation, only awarding a corner, the fouling in the area got a little extreme with Reanto Abreu a yellow card. Neymar at the 29th minute had another shot on goal that was turned away. A great match like this needed a winner, and that came at 36 minutes, when a mistake by Ganso found the feet of Deivid, who passed it on to Thiago Neves. Neves found Ronaldinho invaded the penalty area for the 5-4 goal.

Tere was still time on the clock, and no one gave up. Ronaldinho looked to have another goal in for the 6th goal. However he missed the post. Neymar not much better lost his cool and got a yellow card. In stoppage time Ronaldinho was fouled, but played the ball into Thiago Neves as it looked like Flamengo wanted the sixth goal. But the referee whistled the end of the match, and the Flamengo players received a standing ovation at the Vila Belmiro. Time machines are not a thing, but in this era of cameras everywhere and Youtube matches can be seen many times over. Given the opportunity to watch the match this became a classic one has to see.

BETTER THAN THE INVINCIBLES?

Where Does Arsenal’s Fast Start Rank in Top-Flight History?

Words byOliver Hopkins

There were a lot of satisfyingly neat things about Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Manchester United.

Eddie Nketiah’s stabbed winner came in the 90th minute. It was Arsenal’s 19th game of the season, marking the exact halfway point in their campaign. And the win took them to 50 points.

You don’t need us to tell you that the Gunners are therefore on pace to hit 100 points. But if they did, where would that rank in the all-time top-flight points tallies?

And just how rare is it for a team to amass 50 points through 19 matches? Here’s where Mikel Arteta’s side stand in top-flight history.

BETTER THAN THE INVINCIBLES

To put Arsenal’s 2022-23 achievements into context, this is the club’s best points tally after 19 games in top-flight history.

Herbert Chapman’s charges in 1932-33 previously held the record after amassing 47 points (based on three-points-for-a-win)

after 19 games on their way to winning Arsenal’s second First Division title.

And this start is even better than Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles in 2003-04 who had 45 points at the halfway stage in their recordsetting campaign.

PS: Want to tweak this data to suit your own narrative? You can filter the table by clicking on each column.

The Invincibles replicated their form from the first half of the season exactly in their second set of 19 games, finishing the campaign on 90 points – Arsenal’s highest Premier League points tally.

So should the 2022-23 vintage continue at this pace, they’d comfortably blow away Arsenal’s previous Premier League points records.

MOST POINTS AFTER 19 GAMES

Fifty points after 19 games is up there when it comes to the brightest starts in top-flight history, but it’s not quite the best.

That honour is shared by Manchester City in 2017-18 and Liverpool in 2019-20, both of who started their title-winning campaigns with 18 wins, one draw and no defeats.

That 2017-18 Manchester City team would go on to become the first, and so far only, team to hit the 100-point mark in top-flight history, while Liverpool blew away the competition in 2019-20 to win with 99 points.

The next Premier League side in the list is Chelsea’s 2005-06 team who were on 52 points after 19 matches. José Mourinho’s men strolled to a second successive title after finishing with 91 points.

The only side to have won at least 49 points after their first 19 games and not win the title are Jürgen Klopp’s 2018-19 Liverpool side. The Reds were top at halfway, lost just once all season, and finished the campaign with 97 points, a points total big enough to win the top-flight in all but three league seasons.

It just so happened they had the misfortune of existing at the same time as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who rattled off 14 consecutive wins to pip them to the league title by one point.

With City realistically the only other side who could catch Arsenal, the Gunners will be pleading history does not repeat itself this season.

Which of these are not in England’s group for the Womens World Cup?

A. China

B. Colombia

C. Denmark

Which of these clubs has Tom Incenotplayedfor?

A. Crystal Palace

B. Derby

C. Fulham

D. Huddersfield

E. Nottingham Forest

Fleetwood Town will play which team in the FA Cup if they beat Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday?

A. Burnley or Ipswich

B. Brighton

C. Luton or Grimsby

D. Stoke

Guess The Shirt Season

Spot The Ball

ANSWERS

Season:Shirt 1996/97

Ball:theSpot B

Wordle: Elche, Girona, Osasuna. All Spanish teams.

Quickfire: 1. B, 2.C, 3.B

SQUIRES GATE NORTHWICH VICS

Manager: Luke Evans

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Nathan PENNINGTON

JoshWESTWOOD (C)

Nathan BARTRAM

Luke HOLDEN

Louis SHIELDS

Dan SMITH

Alex WELSH

Dan GRAY

Chris WEBSTER

Rowan CHAMBERS

Harrison KAY

Saad MEKKAOUI-ABOUZAID

Ryan RILEY

James HUGHES

Nathan CLIFFE

James BOYD

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Soman MUHAMMAD

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